C O M E T ~ Mc N a u g h t..... revisited

[abellhunter]

After one year, (only saw the "tail end" of that one!) what about McNaught still stays with you? And what is your FAVORITE image? Please share!:D

Aloha, Lance

http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_mcnaught.php

Image #1. Our best view from 7,000' high on Mauna Loa, Hawaii (OMeara)
Image #2. Mosaic of 2 images from observatories in the North & Southern Hemisphere (Fulle & Deires)
Image #3 Coma & Nucleus (Ligustri)
Image #4. ESO Observatory, Chile (Jehin)
Image #5. South Africa (Pieterse)
Image#6. All Sky Image (Tse)
Image #7. Comet in Aurora Australis (Yoneto)

[coldspace]

I like the all sky image with the Milkyway background. This image is a little different compared to the others. Most of the other shots appear similar after you have seen a lot. Must be great having 7000ft and dark sky's.

Matt

[netwolf]

Milkway and Aurora Australis shots catch the eye a bit more.

[C501]

I think they are all awesome shots in there own right but I think number 7 is the shot I like best.

Its hard to believe that it is over a year since it graced our skies like it did, I have never seen anything like it!!! to just go out your front door and see it..... nothing required but the good old naked eye, night after night of awesome viewing, I might add for those who were not clouded over though - poor buggers........

As great as it was to view the comet it was even better to get shots of it, just to add that personal touch to it just like so many of you did, and the shots from all of you who uploaded your photos to this site should still be proud of your efforts as the quailty of photos was outstanding!!

Anyway thanks for starting this thread for it is always great to bring back the memories of such an awesome event....Cheers and Regards C501:thumbsup:

[Kokatha man]

Here's a couple of mine - especially cos they're taken from gran's "family home!" - I think they're attached!

[Kokatha man]

Should clarify - "my favourite shots" - not "my" shots! They are John White's photos.

[fringe_dweller]

hey kokatha man, i would also pic the J White 'mcnaught over Big Swamp' shot as one the best ever of the apparition too - being as extremely photogenic as P1 was, is pretty hard to pick out of sooo many!! I have my personal choices tho. there are some on the US S&T site's also huge gallery, that arent anywhere else, that are rippers. one from a japanese photographer somewhere in outback SA, flinders? thats a ripper and a half. but then sometimes it is just down to quality of lens/camera ($$$$$$) and clear skies. is that fair?
I would pick a different Yoneto shot than that obvious one - and the telephoto one from top of world of sun and and comet in shot, that really stayed in my mind.

[Outbackmanyep]

For me, i really loved the shots i did with the Minolta 7000 AF Film camera on the comet as i didn't have the DSLR at that stage......these shots are really great pics!!
The whole journey of it's discovery to it's unpredicatble showing and how i went through the whole cycle of travelling to a hilltop and photographing it was something to remember...you know i should really write all that down while it's fresh in my memory!!!

[MrB]

Could you post a link to that, would really like to see it. Cheers.

[Kokatha man]

For me, i really loved the shots i did with the Minolta 7000 AF Film camera on the comet as i didn't have the DSLR at that stage......these shots are really great pics!!
The whole journey of it's discovery to it's unpredicatble showing and how i went through the whole cycle of travelling to a hilltop and photographing it was something to remember...you know i should really write all that down while it's fresh in my memory!!!

So you should brother, so you should! They say a picture's worth a thousand words, but a picture and a few dozen words, that's something again.
And while we're at it - how about a bit of acoustic guitar and a campfire and a black sky out bush: with our scopes away from the fire but within easy reach (for me a couple of droppers with a tarp stretched to shield the fire-glow.
How about it fringe_dweller: some music (or at least that photo/link re the Japanese tourist in the Flinders.....?)
Cheers - ps right at this mo I'm busy constructing my new "take-anywhere" scope box for the refractor: being the genius I am I just realized if I'd made it 60mm wider I could've used it for the 10" dob too!?!

[MrB]

Holly crap!! just remembered I have an undeveloped roll here!
Thanks for reminding me!

Edit... uugh, why do people feel the need to use colour and large fonts and bold type for their whole posts? Are they that desperate for attention? friggin annoying when quoting

[Outbackmanyep]

I know how you feel, i found one last week too! :thumbsup:

[mcross]

Aloha Lance and Mahalo for your post!
All great shots, but Number 6 is the favourite for me.
Mark

[ausastronomer]

Hi Lance,

When you are at Coonabarabran in 3 weeks time, we will take you up to the AAT and introduce you to Rob McNaught. You will also get to see the setup he uses, which is an 18" Schmidt camera, hooked up to more PC's than the FBI. You will also get a tour of the AAT by either Steven Lee or Dr Fred Watson. Something not to be missed.

Cheers,
John B

[abellhunter]

Aloha John!:hi:

yea i won't miss the tour unless it's like 7:00 am!:P

Also, that would be great to meet Comet-Rob!:thumbsup:

Thanx a million! Lance:D

[Starkler]

I like your second one a lot. :)
Do you have a larger version?

[Kokatha man]

Yes Geoff - I agree with you re the 2nd shot: here's the link to the shots of John White

http://www.abc.net.au/eyre/stories/s1831956.htm

Regards, Darryl.

[fringe_dweller]

I have looked thru that gallery, it isnt there anymore! they may have sold the rights to it and had it removed? :shrug: weird eh! hmmm

I like Kokatha man cant help being parochial with fave shots of P1, and not only that, i like many people would pick the shots they took themselves as among their favourites lol

but for me the shots that burned in my mind are the enlightening timely on the spot ones I connect with the event, and its timeline that taught me something about it - shots like astro souths (andrew d) which was the first in the entire world to be available online showing the full extent of the SH view of tail - the one that got my enthuisiasm peaking.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=22106&d=1169119811

lots of the perth shots were awesome, like Roger Grooms pics, especially the one taken thru a citys glow, that really told me about its brightness and had a big effect on me, he took great shots from darker skies also, but the ones taken over/thru full on LP seem to illustrate and highlight P1's greatness even more for me

http://www.rogergroom.com/rogergroom/productImages/000671.jpg

or Phil from Rockhampton's

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=22429&d=1169420255

or Gordon Garrads shot that shows the red sodium ion tail better than any other - its an endless list for me!

the question should really be, what shots didnt i like! and that would be almost none :)

[Ric]

Lovely images, they brought back some fantastic memories of a fantastic comet.

Cheers

[h0ughy]

well for me it was the time spent at Lostock in the hunter valley in 40 degree days at IISAC. Of course we had the comet specially shipped in for the star party. Boy did I wish I had my cooled camera then……to reduce the noise in the shots.

[fringe_dweller]

awesome houghmeister, you guys won the lottery at lostock!

I re-worked some of mine from last year, last year!, still have a fair bit to do, and some like the mosiac i will do again - been meaning to do a page on our site, been more important pressing issues lol.

unfortunately adelaide people mostly missed out on the best 3 nights, but we had a totally clear monday night, 22nd, and it had faded extensively by then of course

heres some from monday evening 22nd, dark site off dukes highway, non stacked or tracked just tripod most being a few seconds, the film one was a total writeoff due to film failure, but have rescued it a bit - i do have a few from different nightst i can stack i spose, will do oneday!

http://southern-x.org/so_x/p1_22/p122jan_flmfins.jpg

http://southern-x.org/so_x/p1dig22/IMG_0850_filtereds.jpg

panorama of 4 shots stitched, 10 secs a piece

http://southern-x.org/so_x/p1dig22/panoramstitch22nd.jpg

and one from sunday evening with the clouds coming up from the south just before view was a wipeout - to get comet looking natural, had problems with LP, overlooking adleaide

http://southern-x.org/so_x/p1/p1_21st_fin.jpg

what about best movie of P1!, there were many great time lapse ones, like Kens (BD)

[iceman]

ah, memories.. It was so great.

My McNaught gallery is here: http://www.iceinspace.com.au/mygallery/thumbnails.php?album=32

I wish I had that time again!

[fringe_dweller]

interesting thing is, this year i watched the weather on the exact same dates of p1 at best as last year, and SA would of won the weather lottery by far!! and victoria, a total reversal of the situation last year, would of been the east coast that was sad - oh well lol

[Kokatha man]

Hi fringe_dweller: funny thing about all this is that at Sellicks Beach here the views were magnificent. ( no personal photos though alas)

Standing on the beach watching McNaught's head plunging in the sea's horizon, just to the right of Carrackalinga Head; with the plumes soaring to the zenith like the tail of an electrified dingo, were simply unforgetable!

Cheers, Darryl.

[MrB]

My best memories are of the crowds.
Every beachfront carpark was choca-block full of cars and people with deck chairs and binoculars.. absolutely awesome. Wish I had taken photo's of the people and carpark's around here.
I also wish it could happen all over again.
Who knows, we might be lucky :)

[fringe_dweller]

Hi Darryl, theres no way anyone saw anything in SA on the thursday or friday 18th/19th, we saw p1 from port gawler on the sat night 20th, but only very briefly at times between scuddding showers/storms/drenchings with 90klm winds , and certainly not in its entirity at one time - those views were incredible, so i know what they saw under clearer skies elsewhere ;)
only took a couple of pics - but at best times i just watched awestruck not taking shots like you, this one was 1 sec iso 200

http://southern-x.org/so_x/p1/p1sat20th_0734.jpg

ive only seen one other shot on net from sat night in adelaide, which was also thru holes in clouds

wish i had known how clear it was going to be just a little way up north on the sunday, like at big swamp, sunday evening that was taken, seen great pics from clear skied yorke peninsular on the sunday night, only a little drive away! weather forecast didnt predict that one very well

was funny the moon came back and we had absolutely awesome skies for the next week(s)!! sooooo typical :screwy:
SA and Vic didnt have a bushfire smoke problems this year either !!!! :doh:

[erick]

Yes, that was a fun time, in retrospect. At the time, with night after night of cloud or dense smoke from bushfires, it was "NOT HAPPY, JAN!".

Finally I got a few pics over central Melbourne, the only opportunity I got. I liked them. Here is one.

[MrB]

Kearn, is this the Japanese photo?
http://www.pbs.org/seeinginthedark/astrophoto-gallery/cometmcnaught.html

If so, he's got a number of them at this page: (Scroll down right to the end)
http://www.davidmalin.com/fujii/fujii_index.html

[fringe_dweller]

nope, but they are freakin awesome of course - wow! film too! Akira Fujii no the less, one of my all time fav imagers! I think they are taken from southern WA, at least thats where the observatory is located i see.

the one i am thinking of, i suspected of being taken on the sunday night from arkaroola, or gammon ranges, could of been nsw tho, he just said southern australia in title, and i took it he meant south australia, i could be wrong, anyway there are plenty that are similar i spose, like some awesome ones from outback nsw i have seen. it had a mountain range in the horizon/foreground, looked like northern flinders ranges too me :)
thanks for the links MrB!, what a view :)

and nice one Eric, yep the vics copped it really bad during all that, what like 6 million people missed out on the best of that!? :sadeyes: SA wasnt that bad - it could of been worse here :scared: :whistle:

[Kokatha man]

Wouldn't argue with you fringe_dweller about 18th & 19th: in fact I have no idea in retrospect what nights we had great skies! - just that there were several of them as per the one when it was setting off Carrickalinga head.

The tail or plume was simply awesome in its extent and visibility: had no equipment at all at that time except for a dvd camera which was totally pathetic as an imager. (did try though!)

Cheers, Darryl.

[Outbackmanyep]

I don't think any Astro event had me that excited! I remember S-L 9 viewing the aftermath of the impacts....the thing that blew me away was the sheer size of P1 ! As i put in my video clip "It will burn in the memories of those who saw it for the rest of their lives..."

[fringe_dweller]

no worries darryl, hard to say mate, a member from SA on here was at a fishing comp. down south, robe way? and they had amazing large holes in the clouds during weather on the Sat night, pritty speccy from accounts :) i can only speak for the immediate north with any surity lol

duzznt matter anyway, you saw it, thats more important than pics IMO :thumbsup: I like reading comet stories no matter what

and thats true OBM! cept for the ones that get amnesia? :doh: :thumbsup: :)

[fringe_dweller]

there was a glaring omission I feel - I have still not to this day seen a shot of P1 McNaught with ayers rock/uluru in the foreground!. ever since time immorial, there was always the obligatory shot of this type, no major astro event was complete without the uluru shot - mind you they werent usually done by aussies so much ;)

whatever happened, :help: it was certainly clouded out for most of the time around then, but there must of been opportunities when the moon was back, or when it was in morning sky ect. later in feb maybe not?
anyway its eerie not to have one thats all :lol: dont feel right :D

[Alchemy]

it came .... i saw .... it went:sadeyes: